As you have probably noticed, I am a devoted fan of leather. In my two previous articles I focused primarily on showing you the tricks I use to make this "difficult" material bearable. I also encouraged you to try it without fear. Today I will put leather away for a moment to focus on my adventure with pattern adjustment. As much as I love the original corset that I began with, and the example shown in the book (Corsets: Historical Patterns and Techniques), I thought it could be changed.

Pattern

I find the ‘Khaki corded corset’, p62-65, really attractive. Apart from the pattern itself, there is the cording that adds to the final look of the corset (especially if you decide to use leather) and works as an eye-catching, decorative element. I tried it first in my red fake leather midbust and the visual effect went beyond my expectations. Yet I noticed two things about the corset that needed altering if I wanted to wear the corset on a daily basis.

The first one is my anatomy - my ribcage is ‘well developed’. In other words, my ribs ‘poke out’ a bit, so most off-the-rack corsets are just not for me. The fact that the corset has only two main pieces (the rest being gores) becomes a problem here as the front part in the ribcage area is straight, and if you use the wide busk, it adds to the ‘flatness’. I had my ribs compressed (even though I had used a flexible busk then and the corset was rather flexible) and thus found it hard to breathe without effort.

There was one more issue that needed to be taken care of – namely the creasing around the waist area-just where the front bone ends to give way for the corded gore. Because of this the corset starts to crease whenever you want to cinch it in more. A few other models as well as myself have tried it on, and it was always the same. I assumed it didn’t depend on the figure but the on the fact that there is no bone supporting the abdomen apart from the busk. What is more, I noticed after some time that the bone is not really comfortable while sitting.

These were the ‘technical’ aspects of the corset I decided to deal with. But as I was getting ready for some pattern modifications I decided to go one step further and make the waist a little more spectacular.

After I had finished the red corset I regretted not making the waist smaller... and also not making the corset an underbust. I most often wear underbusts, leaving overbust corsets for special occasions. As it usually is, ‘special’ ends up meaning 'hardly ever'. I had a plan.

A Good Plan: What to Modify

I always say that a good plan should come first. If you know exactly what you want to achieve it’s easier to organize your work in the process, and you avoid mistakes that may cost you time or even money. So here it is - my plan in 5 points:

1. Set your ribcage free – that was the most important part of the whole project. To find a way to make the corset comfortable to wear without changing it too much.
2. Get rid of the creases in the waist area by adding more bones.
3. Find a way to add more bones without damaging the cording.
4. Make it curvier.
5. Make it an underbust.

Pattern Adjustment

I decided to use the pattern I had altered for my previous project (the red midbust) as it was already lengthened to fit me. I copied the front part on paper, cutting the top so that it would make an underbust. I marked the place where, according to the original pattern, a bone should be and cut it there. I marked where my ribs end and added a few millimeters on top of each piece. I also wanted the corset to have maximum 2 inch gap so I added a few centimeters to this pattern piece in general.

In the original pattern the front hip gore is curved at the front and then the hip part of it is the right angle. In my previous corset I altered that and made the angle acute. In this project I wanted curves, so instead of a straight line I drew a curved one.

After I had finished the front, I focused on the back piece. This one didn’t require too many changes at first. I just added a few centimeters in the ribcage area to make it fit me, and the pattern was ready to use.

Mock–up

I made the mock up and noticed a few things that needed correcting. First of all, the length of the corset. But as my granny says, it’s better to cut it out too big than too small. I marked the desired length and moved to the shape. I wanted the corset more curvy still. I decided it would work to alter the back pattern piece. Instead of leaving the stitching line straight, I decided to make it a reflection of the front. I changed only half of the mock up to show you the difference (left side, unchanged back piece. Right side, reshaped back piece ). I was pleased with the effect, and started sewing.

In the mock up, creasing is still visible, but that’s because my ideas on how to bone the gores came later.

The Choice of Fabric

My previous projects revolved around leather. As I mentioned, this time I decided to use a different material. I chose thick cotton, which looked really good with contrasting stitching. I also learnt my lesson from last time and used thick, tightly woven materials to avoid ripping or stretching. Together with the external layer of cotton and coutil strength layer, I added a floating lining. As I was planning to insert additional bones using a trick described below and wanted to add a waist tape, a floating lining was the only option. Unlike the red corset, this one turned out really sturdy.

Boning

I had already decided to add more bones in the corset. When it comes to the popular 10 or 12 piece patterns the case is quite obvious – you either double bone the seams or add extra bones in the middle of each piece. Here I had to use a trick as I didn’t want to ruin lovely cording with additional stitching. The main problem was the bone ending right above the gore. I thought it would work to make a separate boning channel and then stitch it to the corset where the bone should go. The whole trick is that the stitching ends above the gore – so what you can see is no different from the original. But the boning channel goes all the way down. I hand stitched it on the inside to secure the bone and make it unable to move or bend in unwanted directions. I did the same with the back gore.

From the very beginning I had planned to make a floating lining – I like them as they make the corset really neatly finished and comfortable. When I finished inserting the bones and waist tape, I realized the project wouldn’t do without it. One more lesson for me – if a lot is happening inside the corset it’s best to devote some more time to make a floating lining for a perfect finish.

Comments

As usual, I will try to comment on this project in a clear way, discussing what I am proud of and what should be worked on in the future.

• 2 inch wide busk – in the previous project I used a flexible busk and did not strengthen it with an additional bone. That was a big mistake which I did not make this time. The wide busk keeps the abdomen flat and does not require an additional bone (although you can always add one if you wish).
• More room for the ribs – Although I used a really sturdy busk, I do not feel uncomfortable in the corset thanks to the fact that I altered the front piece to secure more room for my ribs. Although the change is barely visible, I can feel it quite distinctly.
• More bones – this was the most important part of the whole project. I found the way to add boning and thus support the abdomen. Thanks to more bones, the corset is also suitable for tight lacing.
• Materials - I used two layers of strong, cotton materials, namely coutil and thick cotton. Moreover, I made a floating lining, which added one more layer. Thanks to that, the corset is sturdy and does not stretch.
• Altered pattern – I found it really pleasant to sew this corset, also thanks to the pattern. It’s clear and simple to put together and what is more, it was not too difficult to alter it. I would say that if not for the cording, which takes some time to make, it would be the quickest corset you can make.
• Contrasting thread – In the case of the red corset I used the same colour of thread. It did lessen the effect and I would even say that it would look worse if I had decided to use a contrasting thread. Here, however, I worked with cotton – both for fabric and thread. I was afraid the stitching would disappear.

And now let’s discuss what to improve in the future.

• Contrasting thread – after I’ve finished the project I noticed some uneven stitches. Strange and annoying I didn’t see them when there was still a chance to correct them. I will have to pay more attention to this.
• Creasing – unfortunately I did not fully solve the problem of creasing. Yes, the look of the corset improved, mostly because the bone doesn’t finish above the gore. Instead of one in the original pattern I made two additional bones. Yet the corset still creases a little. I will need to consider that and try to get rid of it in future.

Summing up, I can call this project a success. I made a corset that gives me the shape I wanted, does not compress my ribs or hips and is sturdy enough for daily wear. You can see me wearing the corset just after it was finished – still fresh and in the process of being broken in. That is why it is loose on the hips.

After all the changes and alterations I find this one of my most comfortable corsets. Even though the front creasing makes it hardfor me to sleep at night, I do not consider this project a total failure. I plucked up the courage to adjust the historical pattern quite dramatically to my needs and the heavens did not fall on my head. What is more I ended up with more ideas for further projects, both based on this pattern and other historical ones I own.